


The Voices that Echo Through these Halls

by Micromeichi



Category: Etrian Odyssey Series, Vocaloid
Genre: F/F, Time for gay and angst in the crossover no one wanted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-19 16:12:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5973735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Micromeichi/pseuds/Micromeichi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Avanna, a young , bright eyed survivalist embarks from the Midgard Library to Etria to study the wildlife of the town's labyrinth, unaware that she'd find herself untangling not only a conspiracy of the town's origins, but also the histories of her new guildmates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Come on, start the Adventure!

**Author's Note:**

> OK I'M. REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS STORY OK I don't care if anyone reads it I'm having fun. If you are reading this, I hope you have fun to :D

        The Yggdrasil Labyrinth.

        No matter where one would live in this world , that's a name that's guarnteed to stir some conversation.

        There's 7 of them, many centered around cities. These cities are boomtowns because of them ; Etria, The Grand Duchy of High Lagaard, Armoroad, Tharsis and Aslarga.

        Terrifying mazes in and under their holy trees, filled to the brim with monsters, and with mysteries as large as the mazes themselves surrounding them.

        Hot-headed teenagers dive head first into them to seek the rush of beheading monsters and the thrill of exploring.

        Beggars try to make their living selling materials they risked their lives obtaining.

        And humble scholars try to unravel the mysteries of these dense forests and it's inhabitants.

        We will follow the story of one of these humble scholars, a scholar from the Midgard Library , this world's hub of knowledge and discovery.

        Our hero is an orphan raised in this grand temple of learning, a bright eyed girl who knows her way with a bow and arrow as well as with a book.

        Her name, is Avanna.

        "Avanna, please let me go with you  "

        Try as she will, poor Gumi's efforts in disuading her friend to go to Etria alone were just that - efforts. Gumi knew as well as anyone who hung around the wayward survivalist for more than 5 minutes that she was impulsive and bound to get herself hurt.

        However, they do say ignorance is bliss, and Avanna seemed to be a very blissful person.

        "Don't worry, Gumgum! I'll be finnne, besides , you're going to Etria in a month or so for your own study, right? I'll meet ya there!" Avanna's voice carried words meant to calm her friend, but it only worried her more.

        Gumi bit her lip. Avanna seemed all to calm about exploring the deadliest corner of the earth solo, even using the nickname she had called Gumi since they were children. "You need a medic, though! Your wit will only get you so far...,"

        "Pfft, nonsense! I'll be fine...!"

        "Avanna let's be rational--"

        It was to late. Avanna bid her medic friend farewell and picked up her things.

        "I'll send letters of my discoveries, and by the time you get there, I'll be rich! Don't worry about me, Gumgum!"

        And with that, she was gone. Not even telling the professors and her caretakers of her departure.

        Gumi didn't quite know how to process that. Half of her wanted to run out and stop her, the other wanted to let her leave. Maybe it was because she had lived with her as long as she could remember. Was it separation anxiety? Was it worry? She definitely had the time to figure it out, as now it was just her, and the countless rows of books, essays, and research papers.

        And her mind.

        All the meanwhile, a wagon had already been set up containing most of the supplies Avanna would need for her journey to Etria, 1000 en, some sturdy bows, more arrows than any normal person would ever need in their life, many notebooks and pens, amoungst other things. The girl practically leaped into the wagon, almost beside herself in excitement.

        The Yggdrasil Labyrinths....it's such an honor that I was given the rite to explore it as a part of my study! Oh, it'll be so much fun, visiting such a large city for the first time!

        Avanna picked up each  of her journals, scribbling on their covers in near illegible handwriting "The Personal Records of the Great Avanna", "Forest monsters and surface fauna : comparisons ", "Monster Codex", amoungst other things. While it seemed that she would be up all trip with her adrenaline, soon after she finished labeling her journals and organizing her items, the wagon began it's steady pace towards Etria, the rhythms of the horses' footsteps lulling our heroine to sleep.

        And in her dreams, she dreamt of fame and fortune, of the Etrian city, the labyrinths, and filling those journals one by one.

        Not in her dreams, however, was the dangers of the labyrinth, the countless lives it had already taken, and how that would impact her more than she would expect.


	2. Those who carve their name in legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avanna finally reaches the city of Etria, and struggles to get used to her new surroundings

        The gates to the city of Etria is a high-traffic area due to the explorers leaving and entering the city constantly, whether traveling from other cities or re-entering from the labyrinth, sometimes with bloodied teammates beside them. So, Avanna's wagon was merely one of many trying to squeeze their way through the city's gates.

        When she woke from her nap, Avanna peaked her head out only to see a sea of people, wagons, and horses all trying to flow as one but crashing and colliding into social chaos instead. Her eyes twinkled in awe just by the sheer number of people. Her daze was interrupted by a guard clearing their throat to grab her attention.  
  
        "Your name miss?" The guard looked like they were to fall asleep at any given moment. She sort of felt bad for him, working such a tedious task almost endlessly for so many people, it made her feel even worse for inconveniencing him.  
  
      "Ah, I'm sorry! I'm Avanna, I come from the Midgard Library! " She said, grabbing a paper that the professor gave her as a rite of entrance. The guard surveyed over it for a moment before handing it back.  
  
       "Head to The Explorer's Guild, they'll give you the details you need. Good luck out there, Miss Avanna."  
  
       Once they had entered the town square, she gathered her belongings and bid her escorter farewell, before walking straight into the crowd of people before her. Soon enough,  she found herself lost, as one would excpect.

        After progressively losing her way more and more, Avanna's plight eventually noted, as soon she felt a tap on her shoulder.  
  
        "Excuse me, are you lost? You seem to just be wandering around aimlessly. "  
  
        Flinching in surprise, Avanna turned to see two women , one around her height and dressed in layering robes , the other a head taller dressed in something fit for a witch, complete with pointed hat. She didn't know which had addressed her , so she replied to them both.

        "O-oh! I am fairly new, I just came here from the Midgard Library, I'm looking for the for the Explorer's Guild?" she said, tripping over her words.  
  
        Much to her relief, the duo didn't comment on her shaky speech and simply gave her directions and introduced themselves. The taller one was a War Magus named Mayu, and the one Avanna's height was a rune master named Yukari Yuzuki, of the Guild Magia.  
  
        It didn't take Avanna long to find the Explorers Guild after bidding Magia, as it was sort of hiding in plain sight. Inside , there was a crowd of rowdy people doing anything from playing blackjack to breaking up a fistfight _to getting into_ a fistfight.  
  
        It then came to the novice explorer that she had no idea what to do here. She was merely told by the guard "Head for the Explorer's Guild," with no further instruction. She hadn't thought to ask Guild Magia about it either. So she just stood there like a deer in headlights, confused and to out of her element to approach anyone. At the Midgard Library, she knew everyone and if she didn't , she was introduced to them in a controlled environment. Now she was completely alone, and in an entire city full of strangers.  
  
        _Oh, I should've let Gumi come along..., she was right._  
  
        "Excuse me, are you the girl from the library? I was told to look for a young survivalist traveling alone."  
  
        Avanna's self-inflicted petrification was lifted by a man almost entirely covered in armor approaching her. He was almost a whole foot taller than she, and his face, of which was the only thing she could clearly see, was dyed a dark brown from the sun and covered in scars. He would've looked extremely intimidating had not his expression seem so welcoming and friendly.  
  
        "Ah, yes , I am! Avanna, at your service!" The scholar said, straightening her posture to seem as if she knew what she was doing.  
  
        The armored man chuckled a bit, smiling. "Ah, I was wondering when you were going to arrive. I'm Leon, the Guildmaster here. Let me fetch you the paperwork, hang tight for a second." and with that, he left.  
  
        It what seemed like eternity until he returned, Avanna pulled out her journal and started writing down her thoughts.  
  
        _"Explorer's Log 1, Stallion 7._  
                I have finally found my way into Etria, truly a city of potential and wonder! It's, just that I've been having a hard time getting situated. The people I've met so far are very nice and have only offered me help, but I can't help but freeze at the thought of interacting with anyone new. Hopefully I will do fine as a solo eveandor, at least until Gumi arrives on her mission."  
  
        The papers that Leon came back with we're fairly simple , minus all the details involving date of birth and last names, but Avanna found a way around it.  She handed the guildmaster her papers, which he then put in a folder he was carrying with him.  
  
        "Alright! Now you can go and recruit members for your gu-"  
  
        "Oh, no sir, I'm doing this alone."  
  
        "Excuse me, miss?"  
  
        Avanna explained her mission and dilemma to Leon, which the guildmaster did scoffed at, but in a way that he wasn't scoffing at her, rather her situation.  
  
        "Well, you'll be a dead socially awkward scholar if you enter the labyrinth alone, those monsters will make you lunch before you can get a rough sketch of them! I think I have a solution to your problem. " He said, before calling out a name. "Ruby, can you come over here for a second?"  
  
        Like clockwork, a young woman carrying a large crossbow scurried over to where Leon and Avanna were. "Do you need me for something, sir?"  
  
       The guildmaster gestured to the survivalist. "Ruby, this is Avanna, she's a survivalist who comes from the Midgard Library to study to the wildlife of the labyrinth, and she's in need of a guild. I know you and Oliver have been looking for someone to travel with, you think she'll suffice?"  
  
        _I hope I'll do more than just 'suffice',_ she thought, biting her lip.  
  
        Ruby let out a nervous laugh, scratching the back of her head. "Well, beggars can't be choosers, sir, but I think she'll be a needed addition to New Harmony." she then turned to face Avanna, sticking out her hand. "The guildmaster already said my name, but I'm Ruby, an Arbalist from Armoroad and the leader of the New Dawn guild. I'd be very grateful if you joined us."  
  
        Avanna grasped Ruby's hand with her own jittery one, trying her best to shake it firmly, but probably failed in execution. " It's a pleasure to meet you, Ruby! I hope we'll get along...,"  
  
        "I have no doubt we will."  
  
        Leon interrupted their introductions, or simply ceased them. "See! That wasn't so bad! I'll just get the guild registration form and we're set!" he said with a hearty laugh, before leaving again.  
  
        Ruby let out a relieved sigh before speaking again. "Formalities aside, you have _no_ idea how happy I am to see someone like you come around. Oliver and I have been looking for someone to work with us _forever,_ for some reason we just deter people. How weird is that? "  
  
        A pang of sympathy ran through Avanna, "You..deter people? That's terrible,"  
  
        "Not on purpose, silly!" Ruby said, laughing. "It just kinda happens and I dunno why. We're nice people, y'know. I guess Etrians don't like folks from Armoroad. "  
  
        Avanna was going to respond when a new voice chirped up from behind Ruby. "Ruby? Who's that you're talking to?"  
  
        Ruby's face read of panic. "Oh my god I'm _soso_ sorry Oliver I forgot about you! I was just talking to our new guild member, Avanna!"  
  
        From behind Ruby stood a boy no older than 12, dressed in light pirate's garb with an eye patch over his right eye. He spoke in a soft voice, as if he was scared. "Oh, hello there,"  
  
        Avanna waved at the little boy, "And a hello to you, Oliver! I'm glad that we're going to be working together!"   
  
        Oliver smiled a bit , but still hid behind Ruby.  
  
        "He's, a bit shy." The arbalist explained, ruffling the boy's short blonde hair. "He's a force to be reckoned with in the labyrinth though. Grace under pressure!"  
  
        The three, or maybe just two, of them kept up friendly banter as they waited for Leon and as Avanna filled out what she hoped to be her last form. After all that was done, all that there was really left to do was turn in for the day, as it was nearly sunfall.  
  
        "Here, I'll lead you to the inn" Ruby said as they left the Explorer's Guild. "We're not going into the labyrinth until tomorrow, it's a REALLY bad idea to adventure by night. But you knew that already, right?"  
  
        "Oh, no I didn't, actually, I thought as long as you have a light source-"  
  
        "Oh sweetie, you have a _lot_ to learn."  
  
        There was no way Avanna could argue that , as it was true, in more ways than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA THIS TOOK SO LONG BUT I'M SO HAPPY THAT I FINALLY FINISHED THIS and I hope you all like it too!!


End file.
